With nearly eight years of dreaming under their belts, Rylee and Nick envisioned their wedding at Succop Nature Park as a celebration in an enchanted garden. And that’s just what they got thanks to a little help from Wanderlust Weddings and Events. A soft blue color palette, a welcome sign adorned with a box of flowers, and lots of twinkling lights were all assets to the design. Bridesmaids donning mismatched dusty blue dresses from Revelry added a touch of whimsy, while blue floral linens from Mosaic and goblets adorned the cocktail tables. Field and Hand, the masterminds behind the floral tapestry, wove magic through every petal and stem. Above the dance floor, a floral chandelier hung like a canopy of dreams. Meanwhile, at the ceremony, carnations lined the aisle and seemed to burst right from the ground. A breathtaking arch frame was displayed behind the couple for their outdoor hand-fasting ceremony, during which Rylee and Nick each held and intertwined lace from their mothers’ wedding dresses, symbolizing the binding of their lives and families. From the soft blue and white floral invitations to Rylee’s gown adorned with exquisite floral appliques, every detail reflected the couple’s vision of elegance and charm. But make no mistake – their day was filled with plenty of entertainment and fun too, thanks to Mike Medved Weddings who kept the beats going. Get ready to take in the beauty of this wild and wonderful celebration through the lens of Alyssa Vanston Photography!
About the Couple
Nick and I met through mutual friends in high school. When I needed a prom date, all of my friends convinced me to invite Nick. With the help of my friends, I went to his volleyball practice with a dozen bacon roses and prom-posed. We had a great time dancing the night away and we were inseparable from that point on.
On our sixth anniversary of dating, I said I would pick out the restaurant. Typical me, I didn’t make a reservation and we were left running around town looking for a restaurant. We were finally seated at the third restaurant we went to. We ate delicious seafood and then went out to pick flowers together. After we got home, Nick proposed in the quiet of our Richmond apartment. He had previously asked for my parents’ blessing so my family eagerly awaited the FaceTime call with a ring on my finger! It was beautiful and a perfectly us kind of date.
About the Wedding
I had eight years to plan this wedding in my head, so the inspiration was a bit vast. I wanted the day to feel like an enchanted garden party – bright florals and twinkle lights all around. I did a tour of Succop Nature Park through FaceTime while on my lunch break. Katelyn from Field and Hand indulged my wishes of having carnations line the aisle like they were sprouting out of the ground, beautiful asymmetrical arches, and hanging floral hoops. We found the most amazing linens that really helped to bring the garden party vibe together.
I think one of the more unique moments of our day was our hand-fasting ceremony. We had pieces of lace from our mothers’ wedding dresses affixed to the blue ribbons and sayings we each picked out on the cream ribbons. Our parents placed the ribbons over our hands and our friend/officiant wrapped the ribbons together. With symbolism of tying our lives and families together, we literally tied the knot!
Favorite Moment
The whole day was wonderful, relaxed, and so full of love. There were so many favorite parts of the day. I loved sitting with my new husband and listening to the speeches. The party started off with just a small group of us singing and dancing but by the end, a large group of people were dancing with us! Finally, I think a nearby car show closed their night with fireworks. We could see the fireworks so clearly from Succop; it was like they were shooting them off for us!
